The Bunnell Police Department is investigating whether any of its officers exchanged online messages about Trayvon Martin that cost a Volusia County Beach Patrol officer his job, clickorlando.com is reporting.

The department last week instituted a social-media plicy that prohibits unprofessional, racist and other derogatory communications, according to the website.

The Beach Patrol officer, Todd Snipes, was fired three weeks after posting a comment on Facebook calling Trayvon a "thug."

Trayvon, 17, was shot and killed last year in Sanford by George Zimmerman. A jury last month acquitted Zimmerman, who claimed self-defense.